At the end of the First World War, the British military
decided that the .455 calibre gun and cartridge was too large for modern
military use.
After numerous tests and extensive trials decided that a pistol in .38
calibre firing a 200-grain bullet would be just as effective as the
.455 for stopping an enemy.

Webley & Scott immediately tendered the .38/200 calibre
Webley Mk IV revolver, which as well as being nearly identical in appearance
to the .455 calibre Mk VI revolver (albeit scaled down for the smaller
cartridge), was based on their .38 calibre Webley Mk III pistol, designed
for the
police and civilian markets.

The British Government took the design to the Royal Small
Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, which came up with a revolver that was externally
very similar looking to the .38/200 calibre Webley Mk IV, but was internally
different enough that no parts from the Webley could be used in the Enfield
and vice versa.

The Enfield-designed pistol was quickly accepted under
the designation Pistol, Revolver, No. 2 Mk I, and was adopted in 1932.

Webley & Scott sued the British Government over the
incident, claiming £2250 as "costs involved in the research
and design" of the revolver.

This was contested by RSAF Enfield, which quite firmly
stated that the Enfield No. 2 Mk I was designed by Captain Boys (the Assistant
Superintendent of Design, later of Boys Anti-Tank Rifle fame) with assistance
from Webley & Scott, and not the other way around.
Accordingly, their claim was denied.

By way of compensation, the Royal Commission on Awards
to Inventors eventually awarded Webley & Scott £1250 for their
work.

RSAF Enfield proved unable to manufacture enough No. 2
revolvers to meet the military's wartime demands, and as a result Webley's
Mk IV was also widely used within the British Army in World War Two.

This is a War Time Contract, which has Enfield Inspectors
Marks, and becasue of war time manufacturing demands the quality of finish
was reduced to enable high manufcaturing output, these revolves were marked
by Webley "War Finish" to denote these were not up to their
usual high standard of finish.